The Marauders Map
by Witch07
Summary: The Marauders Map was years in the making, but it only took a few minutes for the Marauders to decide where it should go after they left Hogwarts grounds for the last time.


**Summary:** The Marauders Map was years in the making, but it only took a few minutes for the Marauders to decide where it should go after they left Hogwarts grounds for the last time.

Students could be seen wandering around the grounds of Hogwarts as their exams finished and they had a few more days of free time before the Hogwarts Express picked them up to bring them back home for the summer. June was in full spring now and the weather in Scotland was beautiful. O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. had both finished within the last day, so both the fifth and seventh year students were relaxing outside, glad to be rid of the stress from examinations.

This particular afternoon found the group of seventh year Gryffindor boys sitting underneath a tree by the lake. A large map was spread out between the four boys, a folded up cloak sitting on the lap of the bespectacled boy. James Potter ruffled up his hair then stretched his hands behind his head, "Three more days before we get onto the train for the last time."

Sirius barked a laugh, "Seems like just yesterday we got _on_ it for the first time."

Peter nodded, sitting up from the tree and smiling, "I think the school will forever remember us!"

"That, Wormtail, they will." Sirius agreed, "We have left our marks here for sure."

James' eyes wandered over to where Lily was sitting a bit away with her two best friends, and other Gryffindor dorm mates, Alice McDonald and Marlene McKinnon. She was laughing about something that one of the other girls had said and put her arms around both her friends, all three girls had grins on their faces. James was still in amazement that Lily Evans and himself were dating now, they even had a conversation or two about Lily moving in with James now that he had the whole Potter Manor to himself and Sirius after his parents passed away at the beginning of this year.

"OI! Padfoot!" Sirius waved his hand in front of James' face, "You don't have to ogle at Lily anymore! She is your girlfriend, after all!"

James rolled his eyes and pushed his best mates hand away, "Okay, I'm back now." James said, then looked at the other Marauders, "I think, as the mischief makers that we have been the past seven years, we have one final decision to make before we leave here."

Remus, who had been quiet during most of the conversation, lost in his own train of thought about what comes after Hogwarts, looked wearily at James, "I'm sure that Professor McGonagall can still give us Detention, even if we are officially done with classes."

"Minnie _would_ _love_ to spend more time with her favorite students." Sirius responded.

"No, I'm not talking about a prank, Moony." He paused, "Although, we can discuss a final goodbye prank in a moment." Remus rolled his eyes in response, but didn't stop James, "What I wanted to discuss was what we are going to do with our masterpiece." James gestured down to the Marauders Map that they had worked on for three years.

"We don't want to keep it?" Peter squeaked.

Sirius looked back down at the map with his head tilted to the side, like a dog hearing a new noise for the first time, "I didn't think about the Map."

"Obviously, we could keep it and pass it down to whichever one of us has a child first for their time in Hogwarts – but my kid is going to get this." He gestured to the Invisibility Cloak in his lap that had been in his family for as long as he could remember. "I'm just not so sure with the Map."

The four Marauders fell silent as they thought through what should happen with the Map. In between fifth and sixth year, the four of them had finalized the Marauders Map and used it well for their mischief in their last two years at Hogwarts. Unlike James' Cloak, however, it wasn't a family heirloom, it was more property of the school – even if they were the one to create it.

"Why don't we leave it here?" The werewolf spoke up and the three other boys looked away from the map and up at him.

"Leave it here?" Sirius asked in a tone that was asking for Remus to continue.

Remus nodded, "For the next generation of Hogwarts pranksters. Imagine them finding these secret passageways out," He gestured to the paths they had taken so many times into Hogsmeade, "And getting into all sorts of trouble even after we are gone."

James nodded, liking the idea, "I like it – it's leaving a mark, but a mark only those worthy would be able to find!"

Peter, on the other hand, looked a bit disappointed that they wouldn't be keeping the map to themselves, but he said nothing, regardless.

There was a pause when suddenly Sirius called out a noise of annoyance, this caused the three other Marauders to jump as they expected to be attacked, but Sirius waved them down, "You were planning on leaving the Map all along, weren't you Moony?"

It took James a beat before he understood why Sirius said that, but Peter still looked lost, "Well, we wouldn't have use for it after we left here, would we?" Remus responded, a small grin on his face, "I just figured that, with all the work we put into it, we should let it move on to others." When Remus caught the confused look on Peter, he continued, "It's the reason that I have our little introduction at the top-"

"And why you have it charmed to only reveal itself without the password to those worthy of us!" Sirius added, grinning, "Moony, you sly wolf!"

"That's our Moony, always thinking ahead of the times." James, too, was grinning, "So what was your plan on leaving it for the next generation?"

Remus looked around, "Not sure about that just yet."

Peter, understand what Remus had done and knowing that there was no way they were keeping the map anymore gave a suggestion, "Inside one of the passageways?"

"No, that took us _ages_ to find, and it shouldn't be left in plain sight." Sirius said, thinking about other ideas.

"It shouldn't be in plain sight," James agreed, "but it should be left where a true mischief maker would be and would look without really knowing what they are looking for."

Suddenly, the twinkle of mischief sparkled in Sirius' eye's, "What about in a drawer that just happens to be labeled _Confiscated and Highly Dangerous_?"

"In Filch's office?" Peter asked, recognizing that drawer name.

Sirius threw an arm around him, "Right you are, Wormtail! If we can get Filch to think this is dangerous, it can be left there!"

Remus nodded in agreement, his mischievous grin bright on his face, "That was quite a fascinating drawer to go through when we found it."

"Filch didn't even know what most of the things in that drawer did!" James added, "He would take the wiped map without a problem."

"So we're all in agreement for this plan?" Sirius asked, looking around at the others. The three other boys nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly on Peter's side, and they decided on it.

It was there by the lake that the four boys said goodbye to the piece of parchment that held the map to the entirety of Hogwarts.

A day before the Hogwarts Express would drive them back home for the last time, the four seventh year Gryffindor boys got the Marauders Map confiscated and left it at Hogwarts to be given to the next generation to come. For the next generation to solemnly swear that they are up to no good and use the map to get all sorts of mischief managed.


End file.
